The Newburgh Basics launch encourages progressive development for our youngest scholars

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is excited to announce the launch of a brand new progressive initiative through the district’s Family and Community Engagement office, The Newburgh Basics.

The Newburgh Basics is a campaign targeting families of children from birth through age 3 to prepare our youngest scholars for Pre-K. The Newburgh Basics campaign is inspired by the fact that 80% of brain development happens in the first three years of life. During this period, skill gaps between socio-economic, racial, and ethnic groups become clearly apparent. Studies have also found that children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds may hear up to 30 million more words by the age of 3 than children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This new district initiative will address these skill gaps and prepare parents and children for a successful start in life and support school readiness. The Newburgh Basics are five fun and simple, yet powerful ways parents, grandparents, and caregivers can interact with children to encourage development.

The Newburgh Enlarged City School District introduced The Newburgh Basics initiative with an official campaign launch on Thursday, October 19^th, 2017 at 9:30am in the Great Room at Orange County Community College – Newburgh campus (One Washington Place, Newburgh, NY).

“Sharing the joy of reading at an early age. The Newburgh Basics is based on the concept that childhood can be and should be a joyful experience and we can do that through reading and play.” Regent Judith Johnson, NYS Board of Regents members

“None of us can do alone that all of us can do together. The Basics are fun, simple, and powerful. Brain connections are stimulated, and accelerated through all of the Basics. And it’s not just hearing words, but also understanding tone and spirit of words. The ratio of praise and encouragement is also important and significant to know and understand. The Newburgh Basics gives everyone an opportunity to teach.” Dr. Ronald Ferguson, Keynote Speaker, Founder of the Basics and Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University.

“The Newburgh Basics exemplifies our vision: through the work of all, we will achieve inclusive excellence. Looking at the variety of people we have in this room today, I feel proud that Newburgh Schools truly are living our vision.

I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to have such wonderful partners who care so deeply about our children and our community.

I know that children from birth-3 years old, Academy Field seems very far away, but every single thing we do, starting with those first three years - impacts our children. So, I thank each and every one of you for helping to inspire our students – especially our youngest scholars, to become tomorrow’s leaders beyond Academy Field. The Newburgh Enlarged City School District is doing everything we can to be future ready – now.” Dr. Roberto Padilla, Superintendent of School.

Attendees included: NYS Board of Regents members Mr. Lester Young and Judith Johnson, Board of Education President Mrs. Carol Mineo, Board Member Mr. Andrew Johnston, Dr. Kristine M. Young, President of SUNY Orange, Mr. Harry Porr, Director of Operations for Orange County, Mrs. Pat Larkin, the wife of State Senator William Larkin and retired NECSD Teacher, Ms. Inaudy Esposito, Executive Director, Human Rights Commission, Mayor Judy Kennedy, City of Newburgh, City Manager, Michael Ciaravino, City of Newburgh, Town of New Windsor Councilwoman Pat Mullarky, Mr. William Kaplan, Kaplan Foundation, Mrs. Joan Cusack-McGuirk, CEO of St. Luke’s Cornwall Hospital, Mr. David Jolly, Chief Operating Office of Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Ms. Diahan Scott, Vice President of Outreach and External Programs of Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Dr. Janine Bixler, Chair of the Division of Education for Mount Saint Mary’s College, Ms. Elsie Rodriguez, the Superintendent of Monroe Woodbury, Newburgh Enlarged City School District  Administrators across schools and district-level.

Newburgh Basics Steering Committee members included: Theresa Brown, Dr. Linda Hatfield, Jacob Gaydos,

Julika von Stackelberg, Linda Martini, Renee Falanga-Brenner, Ramona Burton, Tara Marshall, Dana McDonough, Grace Cantwell from Barnes & Noble, Michell Jumpp, Ulises Marmol, Sonya Dixon, Maddalena Reade, Janett Rodriguez from Headstart of Eastern Orange County, Carley Smith, Dr. Alicia Pointer, MD, from Cornerstone Family Healthcare, Pamela Peterson, Director of Family and Community Engagement.

Additional Information will be posted on the www.newburghschools.org website as well as the new Newburgh Basics website www.newburghbasics.org.

ATTENTION: Are your scholars or colleagues doing something great? Please contact the district Communications Team at communications@necsd.net. We’d love to visit your class or event and/or post your pictures and recap to highlight the amazing accomplishments throughout our district!